Corbett's Corner

Casino Marino Fudges On Truth

by Steve Corbett,posted Sep 22 2010 11:33AM

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Tom Mario didn’t always refuse to talk with me.

Until recently the Republican Congressional candidate and former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania went out of his way to seek me out. We spoke on the phone. He left messages. He provided me with his private cell phone number.

Marino even brought me a gift.

One day we stood in the warm sunshine outside the building that houses WILK News Radio and talked about how we came to be the people we are today. Another time he stopped by the station while I was doing my show and asked to see me.

I thought the sudden appearance to be a bit odd but welcomed Marino into the studio and put him on the air to talk about his campaign to unseat 10th Congressional District Democrat Chris Carney.

Before we went live, though, he handed me a plastic bottle of peanut butter fudge, “Chloe’s Gourmet Topping,” that his wife had manufactured at her small business at Cogan Station.

I thought that a little odd as well.

Maybe Marino was just trying to be nice. Maybe he was playing the role of a country lawyer asking the people to trust him enough to send him to Washington to protect the rights of the people. But maybe he was trying to be as smooth as peanut butter fudge on a hot summer day.

Whatever his intent, Marino struck me as a strange choice for a U.S. attorney. Nervous and less confident than most people I have observed who have served as lead prosecutors for a federal district, Mario seemed to lack the power and poise required to lead a team of hard-nosed federal prosecutors charged with the mission of bringing light to the darkness of organized crime and political corruption.

I found myself wondering how he got the big job in the first place. Who acted as his benefactor in the highly-competitive political race to be named a U.S. attorney? I wonder now more than ever how Marino climbed the ladder into the stellar ranks of the U.S. Justice Department.

In the studio that day Marino told me how he had worked in a factory, came from blue collar roots and went to college later in life than most of his peers. His background also heightened my interest in his academic achievement and rise to the top. How did he move from serving as district attorney in a small county to heading up a crack Justice Department team of corruption busters?

However success came his way, Marino got the job and all the responsibility that came with it.

And then one day Marino was gone.

The Morning Call in Allentown reported that he had acted as a character reference for an admitted federal felon who desperately wanted Pennsylvania’s first casino gambling license. The man was a powerful man in business and politics who had contributed large amounts of money to political campaigns. The man also was alleged by the reputed head of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Russell Bufalino Mafia family to be a long time associate of organized crime.

Marino resigned shortly after the news broke and went to work for that same convicted felon as a personal attorney.

And I couldn’t wait to one day ask Marino one big question that nobody apparently had bothered to ask: Did Marino ask permission from his Justice Department bosses in Washington to be a reference for a convicted federal criminal who was still under investigation by federal law enforcement agents looking into the mob?

So when Marino called my show out of the blue in April, I figured the time was right to ask.

Yes, Marino said. Yes, he had asked his bosses for permission. Yes, he had received clearance to vouch for the character of a longtime friend. Yes, he saw no ethical conflict in his act.

A few days later I called Marino’s campaign office and left a message asking for the name of a person in Washington who would confirm that Marino was telling the truth. After several more unanswered voice messages and emails, I finally connected with campaign manager Dave Weber.

Weber said “Tom has a letter for you” that confirms the truthfulness of his claim.

Four months later, Marino has still has not produced the letter.

Last week the Associated Press broke a story citing a confidential Justice Department source saying that no record exists of the permission Marino claims to have.

Marino responded in a confusing statement, saying that Justice Department officials told him they could not provide documentation because such confirmation is confidential A Marino spokesman later said he knew nothing about a letter of confirmation. Campaign confusion continues to turn to campaign chaos.

In response, Carney accused Marino of lying.

Mario then chastised Carney for attacking his character.

And I’m left asking yet another simple question: How can Carney attack what does not exist?

Handing out a family fudge sauce might pass as a down home gesture of good neighborliness for a political candidate. But fudging the facts and hoping that people swallow the story as truth is a deadly recipe for poisoning the purity of the public trust.

Acting like this is a legitimate political race is fraud Corbett. It is not! YOU WILL BE FIRED STEVE CORBETT! Both men running are bad for NEPA and so are you.

09/22/2010 12:12PM

Here is what Corbett is won't cover! What are you afraid of?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27NyET1Uzm8

09/22/2010 12:20PM

This is real media

http://theintelhub.com/

09/22/2010 12:22PM

No no no this is real media

http://www.infowars.com/

09/22/2010 12:24PM

Oh stop it this is real media!!!!

http://vigilantcitizen.com/

09/22/2010 1:13PM

NO ONE CARES ABOUT THIS NONE STORY

Cover real issues or quit you nasty man! I am sick of perverted men like Corbett wasting the time of the public with none issues. Fire Corbett now. Please who ever is in charge give us a real man with morals and brains. Call the sponsors of the Corbett program and tell them you won't use them BECAUSE they have ads on his show.

09/22/2010 3:23PM

Must be on to Something

I think these posts are very telling. It appears that a lot of people in this area are only paying lip service to cracking down on corruption. When it appeared that it was mostly democrats that were involved they wanted someones head, but as soon as itis an R who represented a man who throws money around to buy favor the tone changes. This story is spot on and you should keep demanding an answer. And if people truly want to end corruption you cannot start by electing a guy who is bought and paid for.

09/23/2010 10:20AM

?

I just listened to the your interview on your web site. I did NOT hear Marino say "he had permission," what I heard was that he said his bosses didn't have a problem with giving the reference. Did I miss something?

09/23/2010 1:14PM

And now for the real news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsQnJHexezc

09/23/2010 8:37PM

The Steve Corbett " Show"

just how much is Carney paying Corbett to use him in that lame political ad? I heard it was a tidy sum. Let's have a investigation by the feds. No, like everything else on the "show"...I call for a World Court investigation...this thingis global...

09/24/2010 12:50AM

still a scab

Steve, you're still a scab. You label yourself a person who looks out for the common man. Well you're not. You crossed a picket line. We'll never forget. Some people think that may be ancient news, but not to a lot of other people. That scab tag will follow you to the grave. And you can make sure there will always be those who remind you of it. I once spoke to your buddy Gene Stilp about the issue. He said you're a great guy, etc. But I brought him back down to earth when I reminded him that you took other people's jobs.

09/24/2010 12:52AM

yes he is

I always knew you were a blowhard, but now I know you're a scab.

09/24/2010 7:33AM

******Proof for Marino and Corbett****

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFXTEy13gIs

09/29/2010 12:23AM

here are some published facts-cred is earned friend RESPECTFUL

http://citizensvoice.com/news/ex-magistrate-gets-probation-for-theft-1.441277did you report the facts? CHECK THE STATE POLICE STATEMENT. RODNEY DANGERFIELD INDEEDrating will tell the tale.

10/09/2010 10:24PM

marino fudges the truth

perhaps one should ask WHERE he worked while going to law school - then check with the supposed employer and you may find he's lying about that too

11/11/2010 4:44PM

Hard Coal Country Hypocrite

This Pony tailed blowhard bully likes to brag about "Hard Coal Country". Why doesn't anyone pick up on the fact that picket line crossing Stevie is the thing "real Hard Coal Country Men and Women" see as the lowest form of life,A SCAB! Once you are a SCAB,you are a SCAB for life! How dare you even mention John Mitchell and Coal Miners you big mouth hypocrite!